Adenium Plant Named &#39;LEELADE204&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Adenium  cultivar named ‘LEELADE204’ is disclosed, characterized by unique double, deep red flowers. The new variety is a  Adenium , typically produced as an indoor ornamental plant.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

Adenium obesum

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘LEELADE204’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application relates to a new cultivar of Adenium obesum. The newvariety is the product of a planned breeding program. The new varietyoriginated as a seedling from the crossing of the unpatented,proprietary seed parent Adenium obesum ‘VCKRR1’ with the unpatented,proprietary pollen parent referred to as Adenium obesum ‘VKGR7’. Thecrossing was made by the inventor in a non-commercial nursery during2006.

The new variety was first selected by the inventor, Anong Leelachaikul,a citizen of Thailand, in October 2008, at the same nursery in Bangkok,Thailand. After identifying the new variety as a potentially interestingselection, the inventor continued confidential testing arid propagationof ‘LEELADE204’, assessing stability of the unique characteristics ofthis variety.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘LEELADE204’ was firstperformed in October 2009, at a commercial nursery in Bangkok, Thailandby taking a nodal cutting from the new variety and grafting that to arootstock plant. The rootstock plants are started from seed, and areunnamed, unpatented, varieties of Adenium obesum. Access to all plantswas restricted, as plants were kept in a greenhouse not open to thepublic. Through subsequent propagation by vegetative cuttings, multiplegenerations have been reproduced, which have shown that the uniquefeatures of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘LEELADE204’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘LEELADE204’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘LEELADE204’ as a new and distinct Adeniumcultivar:

1. Double flowers.

2. Deep red flowers

PARENT COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘LEELADE204’ are similar to the seed parent,Adenium ‘VCKRR1’ in most horticultural characteristics. The new variety,however, produces double layered flowers whereas the seed parentproduces single layered flowers.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘LEELADE204’ are similar to the pollenparent, Adenium ‘VKGR7’ in most horticultural characteristics. The newvariety, however, produces flowers in a different color of red, than thepollen parent ‘VKGR7’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color atypical plant of ‘LEELADE204’ grafted outdoors in Thailand and grown ina commercial greenhouse in Honselersdijk, the Netherlands. This plant isapproximately 9 months old from the graft, shown planted in 15 cm.container. The plant has been grown according to the details in thefollowing paragraph. The photograph was taken using conventionaltechniques and although colors may appear different from actual colorsdue to light reflectance it is as accurate as possible by conventionalphotographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart 2001, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe ‘LEELADE204’ plants grown according to thefollowing protocols.

Taking place in a commercial nursery, outdoors in Bangkok, Thailand,rootstock is grown from seeds. Seeds are planted and grown for 12-14months. After that, heads are taken off the rootstock plants and theplants are grafted together with the selected variety.

Grafting is done by means of taking a nodal cutting from the candidatevariety and placing that on top of the cut of the rootstock plant.Immediately after that, the top of the plant is covered by a layer ofplastic and tied down by a rubber band. The plastic covers the actualgraft entirely.

Rootstock plants during the first few weeks after seeding are grownunder shade, and after that they are grown in Thailand in full sun.Stock plants of the candidate variety, resulting in the nodal cuttingare also grown in Thailand in full sun.

During and until 1-2 weeks after grafting, plants are placed in agreenhouse that has both shade cloth and overhead plastic. This protectsthe grafted plants against the sun and the rain. After that, the graftedplants are placed in full sun again.

Three to four months after grafting, the grafted plants are cut back andshipped to the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, the plants continue togrow for 3-5 months, after which they are sold as flowering plant.Therefore, counted from the date of grafting, it takes 6-9 months toproduce a finished flowering plant.

In Thailand the plants grow under natural conditions, with temperaturesranging approximately from 10° C. to 40° C., and very bright sunlight.In the Netherlands, the plants are grown in a greenhouse with averageday temperature about 26 degrees Celsius and average night temperatureabout 22 degrees Celsius, un-shaded, to allow as much natural light aspossible.

Measurements and numerical values below represent averages of typicalplant types.

-   Botanical classification: Adenium obesum ‘LEELADE204’-   Propagation:    -   -   Root description.—The plant described is grafted and does            not have its own roots for description.-   Plant:    -   -   Caudex description.—Diameter: Average: 4.5 cm Height:            Average: 20.5 cm Color: Greyed-green, near RHS 195A to 196B            Texture: Smooth, very slightly glossy.        -   Plant spread.—Approximately 25.6 cm.        -   Plant height.—Top of flowering plane, average: 41.0 cm. Top            of foliar plane, average: 41.0 cm.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.        -   Length of primary stem.—Approximately 3.0 cm.        -   Diameter of primary stem.—Approximately 1.5 cm.        -   Stem color.—Greyed-green, in between near RHS 191A and 198A.        -   Stem texture.—Smooth, very slightly glossy. Lateral            Branches: Quantity: 3 (after pinching) Length: 9.7 cm            Diameter: 0.7 cm Color: Green, near RHS 143B, older stems            colored greyed-green, in between near RHS 191A and 198A            Texture/Pubescence: Smooth, moderately glossy.        -   Internode length.—Approximately 0.6 cm.-   Foliage:    -   -   Leaf.—Arrangement: Alternate Quantity: Approximately 20 per            lateral branch. Average Length: Approximately 9.2 cm.            Average. Width: Approximately 3.9 cm. Shape of blade:            Oblanceolate Apex: Abruptly acute Base: Narrow cuneate            Attachment: Sessile Margin: Entire Texture of top surface:            Smooth, glossy Texture of bottom surface: Smooth, matte            Pubescence: No pubescence Color: Young foliage upper side:            Green, near RHS 143B Young foliage under side: Green, near            in between RHS 138B and 143C Mature foliage upper side:            Green, near RHS N137D Mature foliage under side: Green, near            RHS 138B Venation: Type: Pinnate Venation color upper side:            Greyed-green, near RHS 192C Venation color under side:            Greyed-green, near RHS 192A Petiole: No petioles present,            leaves sessile.-   Flowering characteristics:    -   -   Natural flowering season.—In Thailand, the plants flower all            year around, but during heavy rain periods, the plants do            drop most or all of their flowers. Therefore, especially            during the rainy seasons in Thailand, the plants will not            flower so heavily as during the dry seasons. In the            Netherlands, the plants will naturally flower most heavily            during periods of very heavy sun and long days, particularly            in July and August and to a lesser extent in June and            September.        -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Axillary compound cyme.        -   Flower Longevity on plant.—Average: After fully opening, the            flowers will stay on the plant on average between 5-10 days.        -   Quantity of flowers.—About 9 buds and 3 fully opened flowers            per plant, at one time.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: Approximately 15.7 cm. Height:            Approximately 11.0 cm.        -   Individual flower size.—Diameter: Average: 8.1 cm. Flower            tube length: Average: 4.2 cm. Flower tube diameter at distal            end: Average: 2.0 cm. Flower tube diameter at proximal end:            Average: 0.6 cm.        -   Petals.—Petal arrangement: Rotate Length from throat:            Average: 4.1 cm. Width: Average: 3.5 cm. Quantity: Average:            5 Texture: Smooth, slightly velvety, dull Margin: Entire Tip            shape: Unequal emarginate Petaloids: Average: 10, average            length from throat: 4.3 cm, average width: 3.8 cm, texture:            smooth, slightly velvety, dull, margins entire, tip shaped            abruptly acute to rounded.        -   Color.—Petals: When opening: Upper surface: Red-purple, near            RHS 60A, with a narrow longitudal stripe colored white, RHS            N155C, base lighter red-purple, RHS 63C, outer margins red;            RHS 53A Lower surface: Red-purple, near RHS N57D, with a            narrow longitudal stripe colored white, RHS N155C, outer            margins red-purple, RHS 58A Fully opened: Upper surface: Red            to red-purple, in between near 60A, base lighter; RHS 61B            Lower surface: Red-purple, near RHS N57D, outer margins            red-purple, RHS 58A Flower throat (inside): White, near RHS            155A Flower throat, vein: White, near RHS 155A Flower tube            (outside): Green-yellow, near RHS 1D Flower tube, vein:            Red-purple, near RHS N57A.        -   Fading.—Petals fading to: Red-purple, near RHS 60A.        -   Color.—Petaloids: When opening: Upper surface: Red, near RHS            53A, base lighter red to red-purple; in between RHS 53C and            N57A, outer margins red, slightly darker than RHS 53A Lower            surface: Red-purple, near RHS N57C, base lighter; RHS 63C,            outer margins red, RHS 53B Fully opened: Upper surface:            Red-purple, near RHS N57A, base lighter; RHS N57D, outer            margins red to red-purple, in between near RHS 53A and 60A            Lower surface: Red-purple, near RHS N57D, lighter towards            the base; 62B, outer margins red-purple, RHS 59D Fading            Petaloids fading to: Not fading.        -   Bud.—Shape: Oblanceolate Length: Average: 2.9 cm Diameter:            Average: 1.2 cm Color: Yellow-green, near RHS 145B, top red,            RHS 53D.        -   Peduncle.—Length: Average: 0.9 cm. Diameter: Average;            0.4 cm. Color: Green, near RHS 143B Orientation: Outward            Strength: Moderately strong.        -   Pedicel.—Length: Average: 1.3 cm. Diameter: Average: 0.4 cm.            Color: Yellow-green, near RHS 144B Orientation: Outward to            upright Strength: Moderately strong.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Average: 5 Shape: Narrow ovate            Length: Approximately 0.9 cm Width: Approximately 0.4 cm            Margin: Entire Texture: Smooth Color: Yellow-green, near RHS            145B.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Number: Average: 10 Filament length: Approximately            0.4 cm.        -   Anthers.—Shape: Linear Length: Approximately 2.9 cm Color:            Red-purple, near RHS 62C Pollen: Color: No pollen detected            Quantity: No pollen detected.        -   Pistil.—Number: Average: 1 Length: Approximately 1.8 cm            Style: Length: Approximately 1.75 cm Color: Yellow-green,            near RHS 145A to 145B Stigma: Shape: Club-shaped Color:            Yellow-green, near. RHS 145B Ovary color: Yellow-green, near            RHS 144B.-   Other characteristics:    -   -   Disease resistance.—Good resistance to the normal diseases            found in Adenium.        -   Drought tolerance and cold tolerance.—Normal for species,            USDA zone 10 and higher.        -   Fruit/seed production.—No fruits/seeds detected to date.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Adenium plantnamed ‘LEELADE204’ as herein illustrated and described.